Considered a single stock: A group of individuals in a species occupying a well defined spatial range independent of other stocks of the same species. It can be affected by random dispersal movements and directed migrations due to seasonal or reproductive activity.

Spatial Scale: Spatial scale contains a standard term such as Global, Regional (e.g. for the whole Atlantic), sub-regional (e.g. for a part of the Atlantic), national, local (for sub-national levels).

Considered a management unit: An aquatic resource or fishery is
declared as [Fishery] Management Unit if it is
effectively the focus for the application of selected
management methods and measures, within the broader
framework of a management system. According to the FAO
Glossary for Responsible Fishing, "a Fishery Management
Unit (FMU) is a fishery or a portion of a fishery
identified in a Fishery Management Plan (FMP) relevant
to the FMP's management objectives." FMU's may be
organised around fisheries biological, geographic,
economic, technical, social or ecological dimensions ,
and the makeup and attribute of a fishery management
unit depends mainly on the FMP's management
objectives.

Table 9.4.13.1. Greater silver smelt. Total landings by area (tonnes).

Year

I + II

III + IV

Va

Vb

VI + VII

VIII

XII

XIV

Total

1988

11351

2718

206

287

10438

25000

1989

8390

3786

8

227

25559

37970

1990

9120

2321

112

2888

7294

6

21741

1991

7741

2554

247

60

5197

15799

1992

8234

5319

657

1443

5906

21559

1993

7913

3269

1255

1063

1577

6

15083

1994

6807

1508

613

960

5707

15595

1995

6775

1082

492

12286

6242

26877

1996

6604

3300

808

9498

5863

1

26074

1997

4463

2598

3367

8433

7300

26161

1998

8261

3982

13387

17570

5555

48755

1999

7163

4320

6704

8214

8856

2

35259

2000

6293

2471

5657

5209

13866

217

33713

2001

14369

2925

3043

10081

19050

66

49534

2002

7407

1811

4960

7471

15985

191

37825

2003

8917

1188

2683

6549

2451

37

21825

2004

16162

1157

3645

6451

5133

23

4

32575

2005

17093

791

4481

7009

3808

202

322

33706

2006

21685

4016

4775

12559

1115

0

0

44150

2007*

13273

3343

4226

13357

223

0

0

34422

Figure 9.4.13.1.Greater silver smelt. Total landings by area (tonnes).

Management

Management unit: Yes

Management Advice

Management considerations

There is insufficient scientific information to establish the extent of putative stocks; however, greater silver smelt may be sufficiently isolated at separate fishing grounds to be considered as individual management units. On this basis advice is presented for the following management units:

Subarea Va (Iceland); and

Subareas I, II, IV, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XII, and XIV, and Divisions IIIa and Vb (other areas). The latter grouping is a combination of isolated fishing grounds and these areas are thus grouped due to their mutual lack of data.

In order to evaluate the stock structure further, sampling for genetic studies from the whole distribution area of greater silver smelt is needed.

Greater silver smelt is a benthopelagic deep-water species and lives in schools close to the bottom.

Greater silver smelt is primarily fished in the depth range 100–700 m. Greater silver smelt is vulnerable to over-exploitation due to its low productivity (although not as low as for example orange roughy (ICES, 2006; Section 8.2.2). Greater silver smelt is particularly susceptible to rapid local depletion due to its highly aggregating behaviour.